dotHack: Warmth of the Oblivious
by Emerald Twin Blade
Summary: Hack:G.U. fic. Haseo has to spend a lot of time with Silabus and Atoli, thanks to the arena. Feelings are developed and confusion is everywhere. What happens when an AIDA goes after the person most precious to Haseo? SilabusxHaseo, Yaoi. -NO MORE UPDATES-
1. Mysterious Irritation

**.hack//Warmth of the Oblivious**

_Written by Emerald Twin Blade_

**: Fragment No. 1 :**

**_Mysterious Irritation_**

Two smiles… and a slight frown. Haseo, the Terror of Death, would sigh as he and his party had just gated back into the Δ Server's Root Town, Eternal City Mac Anu. They'd just gotten back from some major leveling-up training at an area suggested by their beast-like friend Gaspard. The area level had been 40, so it was a little iffy to him, considering that Silabus was only level-36 while Atoli was level-34. Haseo himself had been level-37. Apparently, though, this place was the best to train at, considering that everyone had gone up three levels.

"What's wrong, Haseo? Aren't you glad we were able to level up so much?" Silabus asked, grinning as he put a hand on his hip.

"It was only three levels… We could've gone higher if there'd been more monsters." Haseo replied, managing a tiny smile, "But… I _guess_ it was alright."

The Harvest Cleric blinked for a moment and then came to attention, suddenly looking like she was reading something. She probably got an e-mail from_ Sakaki_, that goddamn show-off. He acted like some hero from an action/romance anime that kids and girls watch. It made the Adept Rogue _sick_. Making sure that he could hold down his lunch, Haseo looked to the girl again, watching as she began to speak.

"Sakaki's calling me to go to Moon Tree's HOME." she smiled brightly at him, "Would you like to come along, Haseo?"

_Him_? And _that_ polite bastard? No way in Hell! He, however, refrained from saying it in such a way.

"No thanks, I rather not go see some snob without a reason not to blow chunks." Well… at least he didn't cuss that time! That's _some_ progress, right?

Silabus couldn't help smirking slightly; _that's our Haseo_, he thought. Atoli frowned, looking down and nodding before smiling again. She turned to the Chaos Gate and gated out.

Haseo shrugged, looking over to the Blade Brandier, "So… What're you gonna do?"

The boy clad in bright green put a hand behind his head, "Well, I've got to watch the shop for a bit… Gaspard said that he had to go somewhere for a while and asked if I could take over."

He nodded, walking toward the doors that led outside, "I need to find a few items, so I'll be going around looking for any good trades. See you later."

"H-Hey! Why don't you ask me? Maybe I have what you're looking for?"

The Adept Rogue shook his head, looking to his friend over his shoulder, "Trust me, Silabus… You don't have this."

The seriousness of his voice told him that it must've been quite an item. Silabus sighed, nodding. That was the signal Haseo had been waiting for. He then left, out of the Dome and closed the doors behind him. A small grin came to the Blade Brandier's face as the sound of a steam engine starting up reached his ears from the other side of the doors; his friend had probably gotten on his Steam Bike and hightailed it out of there.

He snapped himself out of his short daze, shaking his head to clear it, "Crap… I still have to go to the shop!" Immediately, he exited the Dome and ran for the Central District.

* * *

Haseo sighed, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand as he put something in his inventory. He nodded a 'thank you' to a player he'd just traded with, and he turned around to get back on his Steam Bike. He'd finally gotten 6 of the same weapon… and a weak one, at that. He thought for a moment; he and Silabus were both at level-40 now, and Atoli was at level-38.

Crimson eyes narrowed as he drove through the twists-and-turns of the Root Town, coming to a stop in front of the HOME. He would then approach the two wooden doors and insert the Canard Key, entering the HOME of his guild.

"Welco—Oh, it's only Haseo. What do you want? oink" asked the annoyingly rude little Death Grunty. It looked like a grunty-fied Haseo, only… well… more outgoingly mean.

"Shut up, you little pig, I need to do something with alchemy… Don't get your tail in a twist…" the notorious PKK mumbled, walking over to the Alchemy Shop, only to meet Death Grunty again.

"Hand over what you want alchemized! oink" it piped, obviously having a hard time ignoring that 'little pig' comment.

The Adept Rogue took out 6 Blades, putting them over the counter on either side of Death Grunty. He put his hands on his hips and stared at the little thing with narrowed eyes.

"Do what you can to fuse them together. I need this done as soon as possible."

Death Grunty took one of the Blade Suns into his small paws and looked up and down its long edge, "What do you need this for? oink This can only be wielded by Blade Brandiers, of which _you_ are not! oink"

"Just do it, alright!?"

"How about a '_please_,'? oink"

"Damn it! _Please_, just do it!"

The piglet-like creature snorted; that was probably the best he was going to get out the rookie Guildmaster for now. Taking up all the blades, he took them over to the machine (with some difficulty, of course). It took several minutes, but after pressing a big red button a whole bunch of times and replacing empty slots with the weapon to be fused, Death Grunty finally spoke.

"oink Is it ready? oink oink" The machine seemed to be smashing the weapons inside of it as it went up and down, but then it stopped and began to open up, "It's done! oink"

Haseo nodded, paying the amount of money needed for the alchemizing before snatching the weapon and heading out.

"Thanks." He mumbled, barely loud enough for the NPC to hear.

"Yeah, you _better_ be grateful! oink"

"Hey! Shut up about that, already! You're like a broken record!"

"And you're like an old dog that can't learn any new tricks! oink Do you know _why_ you're still at Guild Rank 1? oink"

"That's it; c'mere, you!"

* * *

"Well, _that_ was a waste of time…" the Terror of Death muttered, walking down a path toward the Central District.

He'd just made a fool of himself in the Canard HOME by trying to attack a Grunty with his own two hands. Apparently, the said NPC could become a mere hologram if it wanted to, so his hands went clear through it. And due to the strength he'd put behind his hands, he fell over the counter and flipped onto the other side. After being laughed at for a while, he took hold of the blade he'd had done and tried to use it, but that ended even worse.

He picked up a hand and covered the side of his face with it. He'd embarrassed himself and nearly had a stupid pig take the best of him. Could anyone blame him, though? That thing was getting on his freaking nerves!

He stopped, seeing the Guild Shops in view already. Shrugging he made his way toward Shop Acorn, only to stop near Moon Tree's Guild Shop and stare.

Silabus was standing at the counter, smiling with that usual bright smile of his. His honey brown eyes were sparkling with friendliness, just about anyone could trust him with _those_ eyes. Haseo blushed lightly, taking another step forward as he tried to make himself known, but he was stopped again.

A female player had just approached the kind-hearted Canard member, talking to him with the fakest sweet smile the PKK had ever seen. He made a disgusted look; what would a girl be doing around his friend? The only girls he ever saw Silabus come in contact with were Atoli and, occasionally, Sakubo. Before he knew it, a glare had formed on his face as he watched the two talking and laughing from afar.

The Moon Tree member running the shop was smirking, leaning over the counter and watching Haseo with her chin in her hand, "Y'know… she's probably going to wind up stealing him away from you."

"Like Hell I'd let him fall for a slut like that!" he snapped, his anger getting the best of him. He then blinked, realizing that he'd just answered a strange question with a stupid answer. He blushed, slapping his forehead as he spoke, "W-Wait a minute, what the hell're you going on about? What do you mean 'steal him away from me?'"

The black-haired female chuckled, shaking her head as she stood up straight, showing her completely silver-and-emerald green armor, "I think you know what I mean…" She smiled, "I'm Takako, by the way… A friend of Silabus, I presume, Mr. Terror of Death? Or even… a _close_ friend?"

This caused Haseo to blush even harder, "No! It's not like that! Honestly! That's just plain wrong!"

"Are you really so sure of that…?" Takako asked, raising an eyebrow as she pointed back in Shop Acorn's direction with her thumb, "Take a look over there and tell me I'm kidding."

The Adept Rogue turned his head to watch the other girl and Silabus talking again. After a moment, the girl leaned over the counter and placed a small kiss on his cheek. Haseo's red eyes went wide, his heart cracking as a feeling of betrayal came over it. Suddenly, those crimson hues were filled with fury and anger rather than sadness.

Once the girl had fled, he stomped over to the shop and slammed his hands on the counter, glaring furiously at the Blade Brandier standing on the other side.

"Who the hell was that? You're _girlfriend_?!"

A surprised and confused look was on Silabus's face, a light blush painting his cheeks. This pissed Haseo off… He growled and turned around, walking away.

"H-Hold on! Haseo, it wasn't what it looked like!"

"What_ever_!"

Silabus ran around the side of the counter and tried to catch up with Haseo, running as fast as he could. Reaching out a hand, he attempted to take his friend's shoulder, but just when it was about to collide, the PKK had logged out. The Blade Brandier tripped, losing his balance and nearly falling over, but he caught himself just in time. Standing up straight, he looked up into the virtual sky, frowning.

"Haseo…" he whispered sadly, wondering what to do. A thought suddenly occurred to him, and it thought it was a wonderful idea, "I got it! I'll go talk to Kuhn about this! Maybe he can help!"

* * *

After sending Kuhn a short mail, they had at last met up at the huge fountain there in Eternal City Mac Anu. The blue-haired player grinned down at his seemingly younger friend. Putting his hands on his hips, he tilted his head slightly and asked the question.

"So then, what was it you needed help with, Silabus? You don't look angry or sad, so it couldn't be something with Gaspard or the PKs…" He put a brown-gloved finger to his chin in thought before he raised an eyebrow, "Does it have to do with Haseo, then?"

The said-Blade Brandier looked down at the ground, blushing lightly, "W-Well… y-you see…"

The Steam Gunner awaited his friend to finish his sentence, but then it appeared that he understood what was going on, and he looked a little… well… _not happy_, "Oh-no… Don't tell me you haven't gotten over your _own_ illness…"

"Huh?" Silabus snapped, cheeks brightening. He'd always known that Kuhn had an illness that made him, literally, every girl's dream man, but he did remember that, in the past, he too had fallen for him. When Kuhn found it, he'd called it an illness, just as anyone else would if they found out, "I… I guess I haven't…"

Kuhn laughed embarrassedly, "Listen, Silabus… I'm flattered, but we just can't—"

"No, Kuhn! I don't like _you_ anymore… I like Haseo!"

The blue-haired man froze; awkward… However, this strange turn of event _did_ make things a little bit harder. He put his hand behind his head before watching the younger, "Are… you sure? I'm positive that you already know how he can be… If he doesn't return your feelings, then I can't guarantee that he'll still want to be your friend."

"I know… but I think that there could still be a chance that he does like me…"

"Hah! Really?"

"Kuhn, I'm serious! Thanks to you trying to 'cure' me of my illness and sending random girls to come talk to me, I think it might've made him angry."

"Is that right…? How do you gather that, my friend?"

Silabus put one hand on his hip as he looked up to the sky again, replying softly, "Before that girl left, she gave me a kiss… on the _cheek_, mind you. And I think Haseo saw it. He came over to the shop and got all mad at me. I still remember how he looked when he asked me if she was my girlfriend. He looked like he'd just gotten betrayed…"

The Steam Gunner walked to his friend's side, putting his hand on his shoulder, "Well, well! It looks to me that he could have the same illness as you! But then again, didn't he have a girlfriend before? That Shino girl?"

The mention of that made the Blade Brander's heart clench, but he still clung to the hope that Haseo could like him, "I guess… but anyway, Haseo's still angry with me, so what should I do?"

"Send him a e-mail and explain what really happened. If he really does like you the way you think he does, then he'll probably forgive you."

Silabus nodded, smiling, "Thanks, Kuhn. I knew I could count on you to help me!" He turned around and ran a few yards away before turning back around and waving, "I'll let you know what happens! Bye!"

Kuhn chuckled, shaking his head, "Oh boy… I really hope he doesn't get shot down… I remember how hard it was for me to get over my first rejection." Shrugging, he logged out.

* * *

Haseo grumbled as he read through the News Capture area of his computer, watching **_Online Jack_**. That stupid, so-called news reporter was nuts! And now he was breaking into some kid's room—Wait a minute, what the hell? The kid's room was littered with crackling electronics, and he didn't seem to be himself… And on the computer screen, it read… **AIDA**.

His eyes went wide when he heard what the kid had whispered, '_Sakaki.'_ He KNEW there was something up with that guy! He couldn't be _that_ compelled by justice! He was about to go e-mail Atoli about this, when he found that he'd gotten 1 important e-mail. Raising an eyebrow, he went to his Mail Station and saw that it was from Silabus.

He really didn't feel like talking to him right now, especially after how he'd just logged out when his friend was probably going to explain something that he already knew. Sighing, he chose to open the e-mail. Oh well, he wasn't technically talking to him, now, was he?

**To: Haseo**

**From: Silabus**

**Subject: Misunderstanding**

_Haseo, what you saw earlier in Mac Anu was not supposed to happen! You see, Kuhn's always sending girls to come see me in an attempt to get me a girlfriend because I—Well, I don't think you need to know why. Anyway, that girl wasn't my girlfriend, and I don't really like her, or any girl for that matter, in that way._

_You know how I am, Haseo. I can't be rude or mean to anyone, even if I wanted to. So, I was just being nice to her, and that was it. I'll probably never see her again, so… Is there any chance we can just put this behind us?_

Haseo took a deep breath, clicking on the **reply** button. Thinking for a moment, he began to type everything he wanted to say into the e-mail.

**To: Silabus**

**From: Haseo**

**Subject: Re: Misunderstanding**

_Heh, I guess I really did overreact… Sorry for logging out all of a sudden, I just didn't want to hear it, but I kinda had to, right? Anyway, yeah, let's just put that behind us and go on with our lives. If you're not busy, I'll meet you in Mac Anu._

_Hey, what do you think I don't need to know? And why's Kuhn sending random girls to talk to you!? It could be an old lady you're talking to, y'know! Like the old hag! I really don't think that's a good idea… I'm gonna give Kuhn a piece of my mind next time I see him._

He reread the e-mail and chuckled as he sent it; _he's probably gonna try to stop me_, he thought. Going back to his Mail Station, he found yet another e-mail, but from Atoli. Curious, he opened it.

**To: Haseo**

**From: Atoli**

**Subject: Training**

_Haseo! Our match against Endrance is getting really close! We really should go train a little bit more, don't you think? I found a really nice area where we can do just that!_

_It's Δ Counting Red Plum's Blue Cloud. It's actually a level-43 area, but I believe that as long as you're there, we'll be just fine! So, I'll meet you at Eternal City Mac Anu!_

Haseo blinked after reading the message, shrugging. He was heading there anyway… so what was wrong with taking his two best friends to train again? A silent laugh escaped him as he logged back into The World R:2. Maybe things would look up… if they hadn't already.

Silabus didn't have a girlfriend, so that was just fine with him.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

I kinda had to repost this, since Steeple333 reminded me that Silabus's eyes were honey brown, not dark olive green. xD! Yeah...


	2. Object of Obsession

**: Fragment No. 2 :**

_**Object of Obsession**_

Silabus sighed after reading the first paragraph of Haseo's e-mail, smiling in relief. So, he wasn't angry with him anymore. And he wanted to meet up at Mac Anu? Maybe… they could go on an adventure together. Not like they do all the time, mind you, but… An adventure where it was just the two of them. Although, he _did_ understand why Haseo would bring Atoli along everywhere they went. She was a Harvest Cleric, and it was always best to have someone to heal them while they fought.

His eyes scanned the second paragraph, and he blushed at the question he'd been asked: _what do you think I don't need to know?_ Biting his lip, he knew that Haseo probably wouldn't want to find out too soon, so he decided to keep it to himself… for the time being. He then went to log into The World, going to wait for his friend.

**Δ Eternal City Mac Anu **

He opened his honey brown eyes, only to see a sight that he should have known he'd see. Haseo was standing off to the side, looking annoyed, while Atoli went on and on about something.

Haseo saw him gate in out the corner of his eye, so he turned his head and grinned. It caused Silabus's cheeks to turn a subtle shade of pink, but he cleared his throat before approaching his two party members.

"Hey, Guys… What's going on?"

Before the Adept Rogue could speak, Atoli began explaining right away, "We're going to go train again! We were just lucky to win against Alkaid and her sisters, so we _have_ to keeping going!"

The Blade Brandier looked over to Haseo, raising an eyebrow, "So, then? Let's get going, Mr. Leader!"

Haseo laughed; it was as if that little scene earlier hadn't happened. Shrugging, he led them over to the Chaos Gate and put in the area words: **Δ Counting Red Plum's Blue Cloud**. When he pressed Enter, they were all warped away to the area.

**Δ Counting Red Plum's Blue Cloud**

When they'd arrived at the area, they looked around. It was a level-43 Clear-Day Field, and the Mission was to defeat the Boss. Haseo made an annoyed look over to Atoli.

"What is it with you and Field Areas?"

"It's still a high level, so why do you care what kind of area it is?" she replied, wondering if he was starting to understand why the setting was important, rather than the monsters in it and the area level.

"Tch, I guess you're right, then."

She suddenly looked crestfallen; well, so much for _that_ thought.

"H-hey, Haseo? I think we've got company…" Silabus said, pointing over to a monster that'd noticed them and was scurrying their way.

The Goblin Knight, an ugly little green imp covered in golden armor, cackled as it shot forth at Haseo, smashing at him with its tiny knife-like sword. The said-Adept Rogue had just unsheathed his dual swords at the right time, blocking the 4-hit combo.

He would begin to slash at the little monster, only to get his attacks blocked by a thick golden shield. Anger was rising up inside of him; why couldn't he do any damage!? He then saw Silabus come up from behind it, calling out for a Tag-Team Attack. Haseo nodded and waited for the right moment…

Silabus used one of his Sword Arts skills, pulling back his Blade Thorns sword and lunging forward fiercely, "_Sword Flash_!" His sword went clear past the armor and did damage to the monster, causing it to fall forth toward Haseo.

Haseo smirked as he got his twin blades ready, watching the purple rings envelop the Goblin Knight. His body began to glow a neon yellow as he called on his own Dual Swords skill, rushing toward the creature and literally dancing around it in his attack.

**_RENGEKI!_** "_Gale Blade_!" He was cutting his blades into the monster, slamming it into the ground twice before unleashing the 3rd and final blow, taking out the rest of its HP.

He put his weapons away, feeling them flash and disappear from his grip. He'd then fix his black gloves before folding his arms and looking over to his partner, a grin on his face.

"Good going, Silabus."

"Thanks." The Blade Brandier said quickly, that blush evident on his face, but he looked away from Haseo and Atoli in an attempt to hide it.

Haseo raised an eyebrow at how awkward his friend was acting, but shrugged and looked over to their left, seeing exactly where that Goblin Knight had come from. They weren't very far away from a treasure box guarded by two monsters. Usually there are three… so, that was where it'd seen them.

Turning to his friends and pointing over his shoulder to the monsters, he grinning mischievously, "Let's go take them down next."

They nodded in response, following after him as he stalked behind one of the monsters before Surprise Attacking it. The battle had begun… and now, they were facing a Goblin Sage and another Goblin Knight.

Both of these creatures were going to be a huge pain… The Goblin Sage just stands back and uses spells, and then the Goblin Knight will be keeping their hands full so the Sage can just continue to use spells from afar! Haseo growled, but decided to ignore it and switch out his dual swords for his broad sword. Pulling out his Broad Tu Wan+5, he held it over to his side for a moment before swinging it at the oncoming Goblin Knight and then slamming it down into the ground.

"DIE!" he exclaimed as he did so, picking his sword back up and repeating the process a second time.

Silabus ran forward, slashing at the small monster in an attempt to get its attention. It fell for it, turning around to face him and block his sword. Haseo, smirking, called for another Tag-Team Attack, pulling his broad sword back and using one of his Broad Sword Arts.

"_Twin Moons_!" he called, striking the little monster upward on one side, and then the other.

It was the Blade Brandier's turn now, launching forward and stabbing at the little enemy with the same move he'd used before, "_Sword Flash_!"

Again, the Goblin Knight was sent in Haseo's direction, and he was ready to take it down with the Rengeki.

**_RENGEKI!_** "_Tiger Blitz_!" He cried, bringing his Broad Tu Wan+5 down on top of the creature, forcing its airborne self to crash down into the grassy ground, and then he brought it back upward, causing it to fly again.

As it disappeared, the two boys were caught by surprise when the remaining Goblin Sage had cast _Gan Bolg_ on them. The boulders came up from the ground, causing them to be lifted into the air, and then the huge rocks came back down, smashing them _into_ the ground.

"_Repth_!!" called Atoli, healing Haseo right away. The spell had taken a lot of damage out of him, so Atoli took it as her responsibility to keep him alive.

Apparently, she'd completely forgotten about Silabus, because once Haseo's health was fully restored, she went off and starting smacking the huge monster with her staff. Sighing, he turned to Silabus and healed him with a Healing Serum, earning a smile from the green-clad boy. A light blush touched his cheeks, but he shook it off before going on to battle again.

Haseo pulled up his broad sword swiftly, slashing the Goblin Sage and making it face him just as he slammed it into the ground, "_Armor Pierce_!"

Silabus seemingly 'sheathed' his sword, but he did a spin toward the enemy and, drawing his sword quickly, cut at it's back, sending it levitating backward toward Haseo, "_Ogre Sword_!"

Now, here was the big finish! The Adept Rogue felt his broad sword disappear, and his Spin Axe dual swords appeared in his grasp once again. Spinning them as he ran forward, he spun around in a full circle before the monster, slicing it with each blade several times, "_Sword Dance_!"

The Goblin Sage gave one last shriek before falling backward, losing its color. It vanished, and the battle was over.

He sighed, walking up to the treasure chest and, without thinking, kicking it. It spun around on him, three guns immediately aiming themselves at him. Cursing under his breath, he tried to punch in the code as fast as he could, but he didn't make it.

_**Boom!**_

He fell back, off of the tiny hill and rubbed at his head, coughing. Apparently, it'd cost him 100 HP to get the box code wrong, and then he didn't even get the goddamn item that was inside of it! He growled, but his ear was immediately ringing at the sound of Atoli's overreacting voice screaming in it, asking if he was all right several times. His eyebrow twitched; could she not see his HP gauge!?

His other ear picked up the sound of silent laughter. Haseo ignored the Harvest Cleric and turned to look over to Silabus, who was smiling gently at him and chuckling quietly. His cheeks reddened a bit, but he looked away with narrowed eyes, hoping that Silabus would think he was just annoyed and embarrassed.

The sniggering ceased momentarily after that, and then his soft voice spoke a simple spell word, "_Repth_…"

In an instant, the HP he'd lost was restored, and he blinked. Turning his crimson eyes to the Blade Brandier with a curious look in them, all he received was a smile. Looking the other way, Haseo nearly jumped when he realized how close Atoli was now.

"Are you even listening to me, Haseo?"

"Heh… Not really."

"Hmph!"

He shrugged, getting up to his feet and folding his arms, "We better stay here for a bit… Our SP's a bit low, so…"

"Anybody have Sprite Drops? Or Sprite Rain?" Atoli asked.

"If we did, do you think we'd be standing here right now?"

Wow, Haseo was really being snappy toward Atoli today. It sort of amused Silabus to a certain point, but his more sensible half knew that it was mean. Keeping to himself, he just put a hand on his hip and starting looking around at their surroundings.

Out the corner of his eye, however, he could see Haseo eyeing him in… a very un-Haseo-like way. His face… didn't hold a scowl or a frown, and he wasn't glaring… His eyes were soft and… if he was seeing correctly out the corner of his eye, Haseo had a _smile_. Not a smirk, not a grin, but a **smile**!

Silabus turned, standing at attention in front of Haseo. _That_ had ruined it… Immediately, the Adept Rogue's irritated mask came back into place, and he was looking the other way. A small smile came to his own lips; he'd never forget that the first and only time he'd ever seen Haseo smile… it'd been at him.

"Hey… Don't you think our SP is alright now?"

Haseo looked at the SP Gauge and nodded solemnly, scanning the area for any monsters they could go fight. The Blade Brandier chuckled shortly; this was certainly a very eventful day…

**Δ Eternal City Mac Anu**

"Phew! That last Boss monster was pretty strong!" Atoli pointed out, stretching her arms over her head.

"Yeah, it was a good thing you were there to heal us, Atoli." Silabus complimented.

"Really? You think so?"

Haseo rolled his eyes; she just wanted to be praised, and Silabus was only egging her on. What was up with him, anyway? Did he like her or something? And what was with all those smiles he kept sending at him? Could he… Could he possibly like _him_? He felt the heat rise in his face at the thought, but he tried to shake it away, staring down at the floor.

"Hey, Haseo?"

He looked up to see the Harvest Cleric smiling widely at him; what did she want? Praise from _him_, too? Well, she just wasn't going to get it! That's right!

"I have to go now, but I'll see you later!" she got up on her tip-toes and… and…

Silabus's honey brown eyes went wide at the sight of which was taking place in front of him. Atoli had placed a shy kiss on Haseo's cheek before smiling with a giggle and gating out. He could feel his heart… pounding in such a way that it was like he was being torn apart from the inside. He bent over a bit, putting a hand to his heart and trying to calm it down… trying to make the hurt go away.

"Silabus? Are you okay?"

He forced himself back up straight, putting his hand behind his head and laughing embarrassedly; how could he have ever thought that Haseo, of all people, would return his feelings?

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," he answered uncertainly, but his smile weakened as he asked, "Are… you going out with Atoli now, Haseo?"

The said-Adept Rogue raised an eyebrow at his companion, "What? Why the Hell would I want to go out with someone as annoying as her?"

Silabus shrugged, "Well…"

"Don't answer that." He interrupted, rolling his eyes, "I'm not, and I doubt I ever will. She's just… AGH! She's just so irritating!" He recalled how she'd literally blown his ears and made him go deaf earlier when she kept asking him if he was all right from that Trap Treasure Chest.

The Blade Brandier's chest began to feel a little bit better, but it was still pounding… A bright pink blush painted his cheeks as he remembered that near-fond look Haseo had been making at him earlier in the field.

The two of them always had to work together… Be it in Tag-Team Attacks, Healing one-another, or even item-hunting! They both were thinking about these obvious points, and just when Silabus was about to open his mouth and spill his feelings out to his friend, Haseo seemed to straighten up and look as if he were reading something.

He suddenly fell depressed, knowing that he'd probably have to go… "Do… you have to go?"

Haseo grinned slightly, nodding. The look on his friend's face was tearing his heart to shreds, so he suddenly blurted, "But… we could chat while we're apart! Via short message… or something."

The Terror of Death mentally slapped himself for saying something so stupid, so childish! It was the worst idea ev—

"Really?"

--Best idea ever! His grin widened as he nodded again, "Sure."

The downcast expression on Silabus's face had dissolved away into a bright smile, "Alright, then. I guess… I'll talk to you later?"

"Yeah. Later."

Haseo turned around and walked out of the Dome. It was always quicker to get to where you were going by warping, so he didn't bother brandishing his Steam Bike. He walked up to the green-colored Chaos Gate and warped over to the Mercenary District.

* * *

**To: Haseo**

**From: Pi**

**Subject: Trouble**

_Haseo, we need you to come to Raven's HOME immediately. Something's happened, and we think that it would be best if you came and took a look at it._

The Adept Rogue had become suspicious of the short message, but went on to the HOME anyway. As soon as he opened the doors, he was pulled inside and the doors were slammed shut. He glared at the pink-haired Hag who'd yanked him in.

"What the hell was that for!?"

"Sorry, Haseo. We just didn't want to take any chances." Kuhn said, coming up beside him.

"Chances? On what?"

Pi lightly pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and decided to speak this time, "There's a new form of AIDA that's surfaced in The World. If we thought that ANNA was the only type of AIDA at first, we don't now."

Haseo folded his arms, smirking, "So, then… There's another type of AIDA? How weak is _this_ one?"

"This is not an amusing matter! We've labeled this particular AIDA as SAGA."

"SAGA? That's pretty original…" he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Haseo!!"

"Fine, fine…" he mumbled, obviously not paying much attention anymore. He looked more like he was reading something that could not be seen.

"Anyway… SAGA is a very dangerous form of AIDA because not only does it take control of whomever it possesses, but it slowly starts to become one with the person. Not the _character_, but the person **playing** it!" the Tribal Grappler explained, biting her lip in concern, "Did you get that?"

"Yeah… sure."

"Are you listening to me!?"

"Of course! What _else_ would I be doing?"

"Text Messaging your boyfriend, that's what! If you're telling him about this stuff, then you can kiss our secret goodbye, and you'll nev---"

"—He's not my boyfriend! _Geez_! Why is everybody calling him that?" Haseo snapped, slapping his forehead at how many times he'd heard that. Well… he'd only heard it twice, but twice was too many!

"Ah-_hah_! So you _are_ talking to him!"

"Shut up, you hag!"

"GUYS!" Kuhn shouted, automatically quieting the two other players in the room. He put a hand on Haseo's shoulder and spoke, "You and Silabus _do_ sort of spend a lot of time together…"

"Same with Atoli, but I don't see anybody calling her my girlfriend!"

"Calm down… I'm just telling you what we see. Anyway, this isn't why we called you here. Can you tell him that you've got to go, or that you'll be right back?"

The Adept Rogue sighed in defeat, nodding as he mentally typed to Silabus:

**Haseo:** _Sorry, Silabus. Kuhn and Pi figured out I was talking to you. I'll meet you over in Canard's HOME as soon as I'm done here, okay?_

**Silabus:** _Sure, okay. See you there, then! )_

"Alright, I'm done… Can we get this over with? I've gotta go somewhere." He said impatiently.

"You're going to have to reschedule, then, because you can't leave this HOME." Pi declared, glaring at him.

"What did you say?" he asked, daring her to repeat what she'd just said.

"Now, now, Haseo… Don't get all worked up. I'll explain why you, and even _we_, can't leave." The Steam Gunner said before going on to the explanation, "The AIDA called SAGA is, quite stealthy, hiding outside. If we leave this HOME, it's got a full-blown chance to possess one of us."

"So, what? It's happened before with ANNA, so it should be the same, right? We just need to Data Drain the person it possessed, it'll disappear, and everything'll be fine."

Kuhn shook his head, "It's not that easy anymore… Even by Data Draining, this AIDA will not get out of the player's body. It's a little scary when you think about it…"

"Okay. Let me get this straight… SAGA can possess any PC that it sees, but it chooses to come after us, the Epitaph Users, so it can control our Avatar powers, yatta, yatta, yatta… and it becomes one with the PC is possesses?"

"Correct." Pi answered.

"Alright. One more question…" Haseo began, smirking, "How exactly do you guys know this?"

Kuhn looked away, blushing lightly, "Err… Uhm… Pi? Why don't you take this one?"

The pink-haired Tribal Grappler also seemed at a loss for words, but she cleared her throat and replied, "Master Yata told me."

"Hmm… Well, I really wonder just how much I can trust _'Master Yata_._'_"

"Why, you—"

The blue-haired man held Pi back this time, laughing embarrassedly, "Take it easy, Guys! We'll be staying here for a while, so try not to get into too many arguments…"

Haseo glared, leaning back against the railing of the stairs with his arms folded. Things could not get any worse… And this thought gave him an idea! If that thing was hiding, then if he just went as quickly as he could, he could just get out for about 2 seconds and then get into Canard's HOME right away!

He grinned widely as he watched Pi head off for the Serpent of Knowledge. His crimson hues went to Kuhn, who was sitting in a corner, leaning back against the wall. That guy was really something… He fell asleep before he even knew it!

Taking out his Canard Key, he quickly exited the Raven HQ and closed the doors, swiping the Canard Key through the slot and heading right on in. What he didn't notice was that a small trail of black spots had followed him inside…

"Silabus? Are you in here?" he called, looking around.

It was pretty empty… Not even Death Grunty was around. He raised an eyebrow curiously, taking a few steps from the half-open door. He looked over to the staircase, expecting to see someone exit from the Alchemy Shop, but then he felt a sudden weight throw itself behind him along with silent laughter.

"Whoa!" he cried, taking a few steps forward to keep his balance. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Silabus clinging behind him with his arms wrapped around his neck from behind. His cheeks turned a bright shade of pink as he thought about what any normal player would think if they saw the Blade Brandier on his back. It only caused him to blush even harder.

"G-Get off of me!" he barked, lightly pushing his friend down, "How'd you wind up behind me?"

"I got here a few seconds later than you did." Silabus replied, smiling brightly as he looked behind the Terror of Death, "Hmm… I guess Death Grunty's still in the Alchemy Shop."

"Still? What's going on?"

He blushed vibrantly, looking away as he shrugged, "Err… Nothing?"

Haseo folded his arms, smirking, "C'mon, Silabus… You're the worst liar I've ever met."

"Umm…" he began, walking off to where Death Grunty usually stood, "I kinda gave him something to work on…"

"O… kay… And what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, y'see… I know how much you've been wanting a stronger broad sword, so…" now his blush was like pink on black: _way_ too visible.

The Adept Rogue blinked, watching his friends movements; if he didn't know any better, he might've actually thought that Silabus… No, it couldn't be…

Suddenly, huge black spots began to grow out from where the door was, trying to rush toward him. Silabus's eyes went wide as he ran forward.

"Get out of the way!" he called, shoving Haseo to the side. His honey brown eyes looked toward the dark orbs, going as wide as possible as they all shot through him… _inside_ of him. He let out a yell of pain, and it was almost strange that he could still stand. A few of the black spots came out of his mouth, as if he'd sighed a black puff of air.

"Silabus!!" Haseo shouted, watching the scene before him. It looked familiar… just like when ANNA possessed Pi! But… this time, the AIDA didn't possess an Epitaph User. What was going to happen now…?

And what was going to happen to Silabus?

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Could this be counted as a cliffhanger? I really don't know... Anyway! I was really surprised when I got 10 Reviews for just the first chapter! O.O! I was expected to get around 5 or less, but look at what happened! I guess I really _am_ good! LoL! Naa, I'm just trying to do my best, ya... And, to any **Black Velvet** fans reading this, don't worry about it. I'm still writing it. I'll try to write this fic and that one at once, okay?

I THANK YOU ALL WHO REVIEW ME! You guys keep me going!


	3. Possession

**: Fragment No. 3 :**

_**Possession**_

Fearing for his friend, Haseo quickly turned around and ran out of the HOME. Now, standing in the path in front of the HQs, he waited, watching to see what would happen.

Silabus had fallen to his knees, his arms wrapped tightly around himself as his long chocolate-brown ponytail fell to his back behind him. His eyes were closed tightly and he was biting his lip hard in an attempt to distract himself from the pain. He kept letting out agonizing groans, trying to keep from crying out.

"Silabus…" the Adept Rogue whispered; it was all his fault. If he hadn't have left Raven… this wouldn't have happened.

Actually, it was kind of funny… How doing such a small action could cause something as awful as this to happen. But then again, how would the AIDA react to being inside of Silabus, a non-Epitaph User?

"Silabus! Are you al—" he was unable to finish his question, because he had to dodge Silabus's sword.

Wait a minute… Weapons weren't allowed to be used in Root Towns! Well, it wasn't that they weren't allowed, but… it was just impossible. How the hell did Silabus—oh-no… The AIDA is able to defy the rules of The World R:2 and so Silabus can now wield weapons in Eternal City Mac Anu.

Growling under his breath, he_ forced_ his Spin Axe dual swords to appear for him. Haseo held his blades in an X position and managed to block Silabus's next attack.

"Silabus! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" he tried to talk some sense into his friend, pushing his blade back before jumping away.

"Nnnn… Nyaaah!!" Silabus roared, his eyes glowing bright Apple Green as he attempted to attack again.

Growling, he pulled out a Revival Medicine, checking to see if he could use it . Apparently, Fate wasn't on his side, because it had no effect. He took out every Healing item he had and tried it, but none of them would work! Biting his lip, his crimson eyes went wide as Silabus rushed at him with _Sword Flash_. Bringing up his twin blades, he gasped quietly at the strength that'd been put behind the technique.

Jumping back again, he thought, _This isn't gonna be easy… I can't attack him because I don't want to hurt him, but what'll happen if I slip up? Or even worse; what'll happen if I get tired and he sees the perfect chance to attack me?_

He watched as his friend was seemingly charging up another Sword Skill, holding his blades up at the ready. This looked like it'd be a tough one to block… but he'd **have** to do it!

As the Blade Brandier shot out toward him, crying out a warning and his blade ready to swing. Suddenly, he'd stopped. His blade had stopped _just_ above Haseo's head, and the hand holding onto the hilt was beginning to tremble violently.

The Adept Rogue opened one eye that he'd just noticed had been closed, only to see Silabus trying to pull back his sword arm with his free one. Curious, he lowered his own blades a bit as he spoke.

"Silabus…?"

"Ha… Hase… o…" he stuttered, obviously struggling to get his words out and keep control of himself. However, it seemed in vain to try and communicate with his friend, because Silabus's glowing green-apple eyes suddenly began to grow brighter and brighter. A scream escaped his mouth as he dropped his sword; his hands went to his head as he gripped it tightly, tears swelling in his eyes.

Wait… _Tears_…? Was it possible to actually cry in this game? To feel _true_ pain? If not… then what was happening to Silabus? Fear wrapped its cold hand around Haseo's heart as Pi and Kuhn's words came back to him.

_SAGA is a very dangerous form of AIDA because not only does it take control of whomever it possesses, but it slowly starts to become one with the person. Not the character, but the person **playing** it!_

_Even by Data Draining, this AIDA will not get out of the player's body. It's a little scary when you think about it…_

This was awful… Everything they'd said was completely and utterly true! Why hadn't he listened to them and just stayed put? His tendency to disregard what he was told had gotten him in some really, _really_ deep shit this time!

The boy clad in green was suddenly lifted into the air, floating a few inches off the ground before _really_ crying out. The glow that had been increasing at his eyes had now caused a reaction in the area… At that instant, an Avatar field had materialized and Silabus's body had disappeared.

Standing out before him was an AIDA that looked like it was half-ANNA and half-Phase Beast. The lower half of the would-be Avatar looked like ANNA, complete with long tentacles and black AIDA spots in the middle. And the upper half looked like the figure of some sort of animal… like what was supposed to be a bird, but was corrupted by data. The overall color of this particular… _thing_… was apple green.

"_Yaaaah_!" it piped, pointing a winged-arm at the Terror of Death. Several tiny beams of light shot out at the target, exploding through the air.

Haseo cursed silently as he ran out of the way, dodging every one of the beams that he was able to. When the raining attack came to a stop, he turned back around and tried to guide his emotions to a certain spot within him. A red glow began to radiate from him, causing a response inside of him to occur in the intensity of the situation.

"**_SKEITH!!_**"

His own Avatar appeared, in all its red-colored glory. A glare formed on Haseo's face as he summoned his Scythe, dashing forth and slashing at the enemy AIDA. SAGA was pushed back after the final 3rd blow, and before it could recovered, Skeith went in for another attack, managing to take it's HP down by a fourth.

SAGA was writhing in its spot, flapping its wings out frantically as if trying to grab onto something. It was then that a hologram of Silabus's body had appeared. He seemed to be on his knees with his arms wrapped tightly around his body, trying to comfort himself.

"Haseo…" he groaned, his grip visibly tightening, "You… You have to Data Drain me…"

"_What_!? Do you know what you're saying!?" Haseo asked incredulously, his own hologram appearing.

"It's the only way… Please! You have to!!" he shouted before disappearing again; SAGA had regained its composure and was flying up to him in offense.

Skeith rushed out of the way, only to get more of those green-ish beams shot at him. Continuing to run away, he found it futile, because all of the rays of light kept hitting him and forcing him to stay in one spot. He let out a yell of agitation, trying to get out of the predicament, but was only given back freedom when the attack halted.

Finding this as an opportunity, he dashed once more toward the AIDA. The whole way up to it, he shot out Stun spheres in an attempt to slowly lower its HP until he could get close enough to deal some _real_ damage. With his scythe in hand, he began his assault.

"C'mon… Just a little bit more…" the Adept Rogue mumbled to himself; he'd already gotten his opponent's HP down to a little less than half.

It was then that SAGA was acting strangely again; did this mean that Silabus was fighting for control? He got his answer when his best friend appeared again for him.

"Haseo, get ready to Data Drain me!"

"What're you talking about? It's way too soon for that! AIDA hasn't even Protect Broken yet!" he protested, watching worriedly.

Silabus shook his head, eyes tightly closed as the AIDA possessing his body began to wiggle around with electricity crackling all over it. It let out a cry of pain at the same time the Blade Brandier had. Haseo immediately looked to SAGA's HP gauge, seeing that it was taking severe damage from itself.

**_SMASH!_** Its defense had broken, sounding as if a vase had just been smashed on the floor. Taking this as a hint, Skeith activated its Data Drain ability, aiming at the AIDA.

Haseo bit his lip, shutting his eyes; "You better come back alive after this!!"

With that said, he unleashed the sphere of data, observing as it rammed into SAGA. The said-AIDA let out a piercing screech as it was suddenly transformed into visible data and sucked into the bracelet-like weapon on the Phase Beast's arm.

The Avatar field began to fade away, and Skeith too disappeared, leaving only Haseo to land softly on the ground. Crimson eyes opened wide as he looked out, watching as an unconscious Silabus was slowly being placed down on the land. Running forth, he bent down beside his friend and picked him up, holding him close in his arms.

"Silabus, wake up! I said _wake up_, damn it!" he pleaded, doing his best to keep from breaking down. This was near exactly how it'd been when an AIDA infected Pi… but this time was worse.

Silabus stirred slightly, and then honey brown eyes opened narrowly to look up at the one who'd been so worried about him. That gentle smile of his was delicately formed on his lips as he looked up.

"I'm alright… see? I knew everything would be."

Haseo pulls the other even closer, embracing him tightly in a protective way. It was as if he thought that, if he didn't hold on firmly, the one he cared about most would disappear in his grasp. He lowered his mouth to the other's ear and whispered.

"I'm sorry… I should never have left Raven… Because, if I hadn't, you wouldn't have had to experience that."

The Blade Brandier blushed lightly, but relaxed and closed his eyes, leaning into his friend.

Involuntarily, the Terror of Death let Silabus go, pushing himself up to his feet, "I… I have to go now. I've been On-Line for too long." Turning around, he mumbled a farewell before logging out.

Silabus frowned; it looked like a gap had just been forged between the two of them, and they'd have to overcome their problems in order to get rid of it. Sighing, he too attempted to log out, but found that he was unable to.

Shock came over him as he clicked on the "Log Out" button several times, but it just wouldn't work. What was going to happen now? He couldn't log out! The only thing that came to mind was… go to Canard's HOME. Nodding to himself, he turned and entered the Guild HQ, hoping that he'd be able to find refuge in it the way he had so many times before.

* * *

Strange things began to happen since that little incident with the Avatars. Whenever the Blade Brandier went out to an area, unusual black spots would surround him… They _really_ freaked him out, reminding him of the moment when he'd pushed Haseo out of the way and taken the blow meant for him. Every time this happened, he'd immediately gate back to town: the only place where those spots were least likely to show up. 

A small grin came to his face as he looked down at his pink-colored Beast friend; Gaspard seemed to be in quite a cheery mood today. It was almost difficult to believe that so many terrible things had happened to him the other day.

"What're you so happy about, Gaspard?"

"Haahaa! My friend Piros the 3rd is going to come by! He told me that he was going to buy everything we have in stock at the Shop!" the pink pig-like character piped, smiling widely, "He's gonna give us lots of money, and then Haseo will probably be really happy! Do you think he'll be happy, Silabus?"

That name… Hearing that name made Silabus looked down at the ground, a frown replacing his miniscule smile, "I really don't know, to tell the truth. He doesn't seem to get outwardly happy all that easily, if you haven't noticed."

The Shadow Warlock sighed, slumping forward, "I guess you're right…"

Shrugging, he put his hands in his pockets and turned around, slowly walking off as he called over his shoulder, "I'll come back later."

The moment Silabus turned the corner toward the Harbor, Haseo had appeared. He had his arms folded as he stopped in front of Shop Acorn, an eyebrow raised.

"Hey, Gaspard. What's up with you?"

The said-Beast character snapped back to reality, hopping up as he regained his smile, "Haseo, Haseo! Remember to come back later, okay? Somebody's gonna come and buy everything!"

"Is _that_ right…? Well, I guess I'll have to, then, huh?"

As if he could sense something, he glared over in the direction of the corner, turning around and summoning his Steam Bike, "I'll be back, then. Later."

He started up the engine and drove off in the direction of the Dome, seemingly in a hurry. This confused Gaspard, but then he turned his head to see that Silabus was back. Apparently, he'd heard the Steam Bike and automatically knew who'd been there.

"Haseo was here… wasn't he?"

The Shadow Warlock nodded sadly; what could have happened between his two best friends? Were they in a fight? Or was Haseo just being angry for no reason again? He tended to do that… When he was angry with someone, he'd take it out on they, the Canard members, without realizing it.

"I guess… he's still mad."

"Mad? What happened? Why's he mad, Silabus?"

The Blade Brandier smiled grimly, patting his friend on the head, "Nothing… Nothing at all." With that said, he turned and left again, sorrow obvious in his downcast face and posture as he walked.

"Hmm… I'd better tell Kuhn." Gaspard mumbled, writing a short message to send to the Steam Gunner.

* * *

"Haseo, good of you to come." 

"Cut the crap, Kuhn. What do you want?"

The blue-haired Steam Gunner sighed desperately, "You've been acting strange lately… and so has Silabus. Did something happen with you guys?"

"_No_." The Terror of Death hissed venomously, folding his arms and turning around to face the fountain. Kuhn had said in an e-mail that he needed to meet up with him at Mac Anu's fountain to talk about something very important, "_Nothing_ happened. Now, if you're done questioning me about stuff that isn't your business, I'll be going."

He was about to start walking off, when he heard a painfully familiar voice.

"Kuhn… why did you call me here?"

Haseo froze; what the hell was _he_ doing there!? Kuhn had turned to face the young Blade Brandier, smiling down at him.

"Well, y'see…"

The Steam Gunner was forced to stop when he heard the hum of a PC near him logging out. He didn't even have to guess who it was… Shaking his head, he knew it'd be hopeless, but he tried, anyway.

"Silabus, what happened? Do you know why Haseo is avoiding you?"

The boy clad in green looked surprised, "Wait… how'd you know abou—"

"Gaspard told me that something was going on, so spill. What's going on?" Kuhn knew that if he tried to be strict about it, he'd probably get exactly what he wanted out of his young friend. It always worked with him and Gaspard.

Silabus, however, wasn't acting like himself either. He shook his head and took a step back; his head was low as he shook it silently, "He'd get even more mad at me if I told you… I'm sorry." After getting his excuse out, he turned around and hightailed it out of there.

Kuhn sighed again, "What is going _on_ with them?" He put a finger to his chin in thought for a moment, realizing something, "Why didn't Silabus just log out, too?" Shrugging, he turned and logged out, as well.

* * *

"Haseo! There you are!" the ever-annoying Harvest Cleric exclaimed as the Adept Rogue appeared the Dome. She'd awaited him, watching him approach her, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to a field with me! Just… just the two of us." She blushed lightly. 

It wasn't hard to see that Haseo was very much disgusted, and he was about to retort rudely at her when the Dome doors opened again. Out the corner of his eye, he could see a bright green-clad PC, or rather… AIDA-PC. Sighing, he nods rather involuntarily to the Moon Tree girl. Immediately, she latched herself to his left arm, clinging to him. He had an annoyed look on his face, but he got rid of it before Silabus could possibly notice it. At least this could be a way for him to forget about his friend, right?

Silabus would stop, staring at how Atoli was just hanging off of his arm… much like how the girls did with Kuhn. He could feel his heart beginning to ache… hurting his chest in a painful attempt to get him to go over there and separate the two. But the Blade Brandier knows better… he knows Haseo better than anyone else in Canard or in Moon Tree.

Haseo was trying to forget about him.

Biting his lip, something inside of him was saying, _It's not true! It can't be!_ Beginning to walk slowly toward them, he puts on a fake smile that would surely fool Atoli. He'd pick up his hand and wave at them, calling out.

"Hey, Guys! Wait up!"

Haseo pulls Atoli closer to him and disappears. Silabus stops, frowning in a hurt way at the object of his obsession's shunning of him. Gaspard has just appeared behind him and can tell that he's trying his very hardest not to cry.

"Hey, Silabus? Are you okay?" the little pink Shadow Warlock asks worriedly, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Yea… Yea, I'm fine, Gaspard." Silabus lies, putting on that fake smile again. It might've worked on Atoli, but it sure didn't on Gaspard.

"You should go on back to Canard's HOME… you need to rest."

The Blade Brandier nods, taking his advice and leaving the Dome in favor of warping to the Mercenary District. Gaspard, however, gets straight to work on sending a message of Kuhn about how much more serious things had just gotten.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Whee! I finally updated! What'cha think, Everybody? I'm trying to get the chars a little bit more IC... You probably can't tell in the beginning, but the end? X( I really can't tell, so you guys are gonna have to tell me. 

I can't believe I got 28 Reviews after posting the 2nd Chapter! Please, give me lots and lots of good Reviews now that I posted the 3rd one? You will be rewarded with the 4th one if you do! ;D


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